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HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

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HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Old 10-15-14, 11:29 AM
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HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/15/h...aming-service/

If you've been pining for HBO without having to splurge for a cable subscription, you may soon be in luck. At a Time Warner investor meeting today, HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler announced that the company would flip the switch on a web-based streaming service next year. The over-the-top option will leverage HBO's current partners and offer access to its content without the need for a full cable package. During his remarks, Plepler mentioned that there are 10 million homes that only pay for internet rather than a bundle, and the figure is only expected to grow. Of course, there's no word on pricing or any of the finer details right now, but we expect to hear much more in the months to come. If you'll recall, reports indicate that ESPN is also working on an NBA streaming option, serving up a slate of live regular-season games to folks who don't pay for cable service.
Old 10-15-14, 01:15 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Unless they screw it up royally I'll sign up on Day One.
Old 10-15-14, 09:16 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

So they won't go lower then the $15 that they charge the cable subscribers so I'll wait and see what will be included on the streaming side of things.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/hbo-t...ice-1413385733
Old 10-16-14, 01:10 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Posting links to paywalled stories doesn't tell us much. Maybe copy and paste.
Old 10-16-14, 01:15 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

It wouldn't surprise me if this option is more expensive than getting it through a cable provider.
Old 10-16-14, 09:06 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

If it was, it'd be because HBO was doing the cable providers a favor. There is profit sharing involved with HBO via Cable Companies, cut out the cable companies and you have pure profit.
Old 10-16-14, 09:13 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

i wonder what impact this will have on Amazon Prime which is currently hosting some pretty good HBO stuff...
Old 10-16-14, 10:20 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Depends on how long that Amazon contract is.
Old 03-04-15, 04:21 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Some new info/rumors from an IBTimes article.

- Launching in April (timed with GOT season premiere)
- $15 a month
- Available on Apple TV at launch
- Some cable providers (Cox & Cablevision) may bundle HBO Now with internet-only packages.
- Will be a separate service from HBOGo with it's own apps.

Spoiler:
HBO In Talks With Apple To Be Launch Partner For Coming Web Service 'HBO Now'

HBO is in talks with Apple to make Apple TV one of the launch partners for its highly anticipated streaming service when it debuts next month. HBO and streaming partner Major League Baseball Advanced Media are working to have the standalone service, called “HBO Now,” ready to launch in April in conjunction with the premiere of the fifth season of “Game of Thrones,” according to sources familiar with their plans.

When it launches, consumers will be able to subscribe to HBO Now directly from HBO for the first time, rather than through a cable, satellite or telco TV distributor such as Comcast or Verizon. The retail price is expected to be $15 a month when purchased directly from HBO, or about what consumers pay when they order HBO through their cable, satellite or telco provider.

HBO’s corporate parent, Time Warner Inc., will rely on a whole new line of distributors (e.g., Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, etc.) to help market HBO Now to an estimated 10 million U.S. broadband subscribers who do not pay for a cable TV bundle. CEO Jeff Bewkes has said the offering could also help reach some of the 70 million cable TV subscribers who do not subscribe to HBO but might if given the opportunity to subscribe online.

HBO’s over-the-top service has been cast as the biggest challenge yet to the so-called cable bundle, in which consumers are required to buy packages of channels, some of which they may never watch. One study claimed the service would lead to a 7 percent drop in pay TV subscriptions, as users opt out of cable and opt into HBO Now.

Some cable providers, however, such as Cablevision and Cox Communications, have expressed interest in bundling HBO Now with broadband for their own subscribers who don’t get cable TV.

Apple has been most aggressive in courting HBO in a bid to add the service to Apple TV, sources say. Apple TV already carries HBO Go for current HBO subscribers, but it may add a second app for HBO Now. Apple has spent the past several years negotiating for the rights to offer its own linear TV package; in the meantime, HBO Now is seen as an added service to drive adoption of Apple TV.

While HBO has not confirmed a launch date for HBO Now, internally the target is an April launch, in time for the April 12 debut of “Game of Thrones.” That’s an aggressive time frame for Major League Baseball Advanced Media, which is building the back end along with a new front end separate from HBO Go. HBO is taking care not to launch HBO Now before it can guarantee that the service will work without some of the technical glitches that plagued HBO Go during last year's debut of "Game of Thrones."

The launch of HBO Now will be a milestone for Time Warner’s premium TV channel, which has for most of its 42-year history been distributed as an add-on to a package of cable channels. The Web service will allow HBO to sign on a new group of distribution partners, which it sees as no different than when it added satellite TV and, later, telcos such as Verizon and AT&T.

Each of those distributors pays a wholesale price for HBO and then resells it to consumers for anywhere from $13 to $18 a month. Most see HBO as a retention device; those who subscribe are less likely to drop service or switch providers. HBO and Time Warner declined to comment.

At $15 a month, HBO Now will be significantly more expensive than Netflix, which ranges from $8 to $12 a month for various levels of service, but cheaper than some were predicting. HBO makes the case that it has more original programming than Netflix and a better, more current film library. “It’s a premium product, and it will be priced accordingly,” HBO CEO Richard Plepler said during a Time Warner earnings call in February.

HBO’s push to launch HBO Now comes after years of talking about launching an over-the-top service that bypasses traditional cable TV. Understandably, it has been met with some resistance from current distributors, including Time Warner Cable and Comcast, two companies in the midst of a $46 billion merger, according to sources.

HBO, of course, heard the same misgivings from cable companies when it first added satellite TV providers and then telcos as distributors. HBO’s strategy is to give early partners a pricing advantage over newer ones; it’s unclear how this will go over with Apple, which has a track record of squeezing advantageous deals out of media, including the 99-cent single more than a decade ago.

Bewkes said in December that he saw “cord-cutting” accelerate as pay TV providers dropped subscribers. U.S. pay TV providers lost 125,000 subscribers in 2014, according to Leichtman Research Group. At the same time, HBO and Cinemax reported their highest number of new subscribers (2.8 million) in 30 years.

Among the challenges HBO faces to get HBO Now launched is how to avoid confusion with HBO Go, the service that allows HBO’s cable TV subscribers to access it on the Web, smartphones and tablets. The two services will have separate log-in pages and separate apps, but some cable execs are concerned about customer confusion. The explanation might challenge even the best call center employee: HBO Go is for TV subscribers to watch their content on devices; HBO Now for those who don’t subscribe via TV.

http://www.ibtimes.com/hbo-talks-app...lusive-1835882
Old 03-09-15, 12:41 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

So AppleTV will have a three month exclusive on HBO Now, according to this article today:

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/9/817...-now-announced



HBO's long awaited standalone subscription service is coming next month, and Apple TV has been announced as the company's "exclusive" launch device. Viewers will be able to watch HBO Now from web browsers, but Apple TV is the only streaming box getting it to start. "All you need to get HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device," said HBO CEO Richard Plepler. Priced at $14.99 per month, HBO Now will offer access to HBO's entirely library of original shows and also its large catalog of feature films.

Customers will get a free month if they sign up from an Apple device during April, Plepler said, a move that should guarantee some pretty quick growth. This is a service that people have waited years for, remember. HBO's choice to partner initially with Apple alone is an interesting one; rather than attack every streaming device on the market, it's giving Apple's device a high-profile push. You can subscribe to HBO Now directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. The exclusivity period will last three months, according to CNN's Brian Stelter.

As its own part of the big announcement, Apple revealed that it's cutting the price of Apple TV to $69. Rather than introduce an updated model of the set-top box, Apple is lowering the cost to better compete against Roku, Amazon, and others.
Old 03-09-15, 12:46 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

That's stupid, but right on. If it were an Apple TV exclusive all around, I'd have to plug that sucker back in. I think I can wait it out for 3 months while Apple sops up all the Game of Thrones fans.
Old 03-10-15, 12:25 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

$15 a month is not bad. I was expecting $20. Will it have new episodes the next day?

I just read Apple TV is the only device that will stream HBO in 1080P. WTF?!

Last edited by mhg83; 03-10-15 at 12:45 AM.
Old 03-10-15, 08:38 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Where'd you read that? It's going to be on Apple TV exclusively (for TV devices) for 3 months, I didn't see anything about it being the only platform to offer 1080p (though they don't normally do 1080p to PCs/Macs, so that'd make sense too).

But considering it hasn't been announced for any other platforms, I guess it'd make sense to say that it's the only platform.
Old 03-10-15, 11:21 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Well that sucks. I was hoping they would make this widely available rather than use it as a promotion for Apple products. I cetainly don't want or need another streaming device.

I guess GoT will remain the most pirated show on television.
Old 03-10-15, 11:36 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

$15 sounds good to me. I don't know if it is something I would keep all year. If I can binge watch something over a couple of months and then cancel for a while, I'll do that.
Old 03-10-15, 11:40 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by Eddie W
I was hoping they would make this widely available
it will after 3 months.
Old 03-10-15, 12:33 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Was hoping for $10 a month. Isn't $15 around what a subscription on cable costs? Won't be getting it until they release it for the Roku at the earliest.
Old 03-10-15, 12:53 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by RichC2
Where'd you read that? It's going to be on Apple TV exclusively (for TV devices) for 3 months, I didn't see anything about it being the only platform to offer 1080p (though they don't normally do 1080p to PCs/Macs, so that'd make sense too).

But considering it hasn't been announced for any other platforms, I guess it'd make sense to say that it's the only platform.
I misread an article. It said 720P for Xbox 360. I thought they were talking about the One
Old 03-10-15, 02:42 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by jjcool
Was hoping for $10 a month. Isn't $15 around what a subscription on cable costs? Won't be getting it until they release it for the Roku at the earliest.
I was paying $17.99 for HBO on DirecTV before I cut the cord a couple of weeks ago. It wouldn't make any sense for them to release this at $10 and undercut the cable price. I'm sure there are contracts in place to keep them from siphoning off cable customers & keep this geared toward cord cutters.
Old 03-10-15, 05:05 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Interesting speculation going on in another tech forum regarding pricing on this service: After the three month Apple exclusive is over...can Amazon offer a discounted price per month for HBO NOW service if you were to, say, subscribe to Amazon Prime for a year?

My initial thought is "not bloody likely" but then again...is $14.99 the "MSRP" or is it firm with HBO with no room for discounts?

Perhaps more likely is offer the same kind of promotion they offered with Sling recently...subscribe to HBO NOW for "x" amount of months, and get a discount off of a Fire TV device or Roku device.

Read here: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/09/hbo-now-strings/

Last edited by parker63; 03-10-15 at 05:10 PM.
Old 03-10-15, 05:47 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by parker63
Interesting speculation going on in another tech forum regarding pricing on this service: After the three month Apple exclusive is over...can Amazon offer a discounted price per month for HBO NOW service if you were to, say, subscribe to Amazon Prime for a year?

My initial thought is "not bloody likely" but then again...is $14.99 the "MSRP" or is it firm with HBO with no room for discounts?

Perhaps more likely is offer the same kind of promotion they offered with Sling recently...subscribe to HBO NOW for "x" amount of months, and get a discount off of a Fire TV device or Roku device.

Read here: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/09/hbo-now-strings/
on the main hbonow page (not the one from the apple site), it has " Prices may vary for participating partners." in the disclaimer.

http://order.hbonow.com/
Old 03-10-15, 09:29 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

I didn't see the demo, is the functionality any different than HBO Go?

Also I get that the shows are the main draw, but the selection of movies (on HBO Go) is a joke, wonder if they'll step it up for this service.
Old 03-10-15, 10:13 PM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by HN
it will after 3 months.
In other words, after this season of "Game of Thrones" is done airing.

My plan is to go ahead and subscribe through Apple during the initial rollout and get the first month free. After the first three months (and this season's "Game of Thrones") I'll re-evaluate whether to continue. I'll certainly be looking for discounts from other providers.

Originally Posted by bluetoast
the selection of movies (on HBO Go) is a joke, wonder if they'll step it up for this service.
I think the movie selection more or less mirrors what's airing on HBO in any given month, so the selection is limited but it changes all the time.
Old 03-11-15, 08:52 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by bluetoast
I didn't see the demo, is the functionality any different than HBO Go?

Also I get that the shows are the main draw, but the selection of movies (on HBO Go) is a joke, wonder if they'll step it up for this service.
I was under the impression that this is a live streaming feed of the HBO channel (presumingly the East Coast feed, but who knows). I'm not sure if it ALSO has a selection of episodes/movies like HBO GO or not.
Old 03-11-15, 09:51 AM
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Re: HBO GO Standalone Streaming Service Coming in 2015

Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
I was under the impression that this is a live streaming feed of the HBO channel (presumingly the East Coast feed, but who knows). I'm not sure if it ALSO has a selection of episodes/movies like HBO GO or not.
you'll get it all as far as series go. movies i'm guessing will be the same neutered selection.

http://www.apple.com/appletv/hbo-now/

(on a side note, when i see this pic of arya and the hound, i think hound is texting instead of counting coin)


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